Book Review — Until It Fades by KA Tucker

“I wake up every morning thinking about you.” My head thumps softly against the wall as I close my eyes, reveling in the feel of his mouth against my ear. “I go to bed at night thinking about you.” Blood rushes through my veins with the adrenaline his words create. “Please tell me it’s not just me.”

This was such a sweet love story that showcased a new and wonderful side of K.A. Tucker’s writing. This story is full of love, family, and swoon! It was a well-written, slow-burning romance that genuinely made me happy to read it! If you’re a fan of heart-melting Alpha heroes and single mom heroines, you should definitely read this book!

So this story is about a Catherine Wright, a young single mother working as a truck stop waitress in a small town. She had a past that she was desperate to keep hidden from the media and her young daughter, but her world was turned upside down when she rescued a mysterious man from a burning car wreck on the side of a lonely country road one foggy night… What she didn’t know until later is that her mystery man was none other than Brett Madden, a famous hockey star and media darling and his rescue had become the talk of every news reporter in the country. Even though she tried hard to keep her identity hidden, Brett was determined to find out who the woman who saved his life was and when they finally met, neither of them could ignore their attraction…

One of the many things I loved about this story was that, especially since the whole thing was told from Catherine’s POV, the story took the time to show us her past in the very beginning in a way that made you really understand what she was going through and why she tried so hard to keep her identity away from the media at first. The story was never rushed allowing you to experience her emotions and worries along with her. But despite her attempts to keep away from the media, Brett did eventually find out who she was and showed up in person to thank her.

“I’ve been lying in a hospital bed for the past week, thinking of what I’d say when I finally met you, and here I am now and even though I’m talking, I feel completely speechless… And in awe.”
“You’re in awe?” I snort, and then my cheeks burn bright with embarrassment and I avert my gaze to the floor, because I just snorted in front of Brett Madden.
“I would be dead if it weren’t for you.”
“Anyone would have done the same.”
“No. That’s not true. A lot of people would not have done the same. A lot of people would have taken one look at the car and not bothered. Or they would have seen the first flame and ran.” His large hand gently and completely wraps around my biceps, his touch both soothing and inducing heart palpitations. “You’re half my size, you have a child, and you did the impossible, and because you did that, I’m standing here right now.”

Oh my gosh, Brett was such a gorgeous hero! Not only was he a sexy swoony hockey player, he was also just a genuinely GOOD guy through and through. He was completely unaffected by his wealth and fame, and was a grounded, caring, generous, and kind man who treated everyone as his equal. And given his humble nature, he was deeply drawn to Catherine who didn’t want to accept anything from him in return for saving his life. Her sincere attitude was a welcome relief in his world and he couldn’t help wanting to spend more time around her…

“Do you know how many people want you two to get together? You should see all the stuff online.”
“No, thanks.” I fumble with the apron ties around my waist. “Why do people even care? They don’t know us. What happens between us has no impact on them.”
“Because it’s like a fairy tale!”
A fairy tale.
The poor, lonely waitress with a past, the jaded single mother with scars, who scrubs ketchup off tables and serves fries to truck drivers ensnares the rich, gorgeous, kind prince. I guess it’s kind of like Cinderella. Though Cinderella got herself beautiful glass slippers on her night of magic. Mine involved shabby black heels, which were left for dead in a ditch.

Theirs was a truly slow-burning love story — there’s no insta-love here — but the slower pacing made complete and total sense for these characters and everything they’d been through both together and separately. I actually really appreciated that nothing was rushed and that the story took the time to become quite believable.

He grins sheepishly. “When I went home that night, I told my parents that I was madly in love with this brave and beautiful woman who saved my life.”
Oh my God. My heart’s beating in my throat.
“Of course they convinced me that I was completely overwhelmed and that I needed to get some rest.”
“I’m sure they were right,” I mumble.
“I thought so too, honestly.” He swallows hard. “But then you had to go and be not just brave and beautiful but also humble, and funny, and honest. And I couldn’t stop thinking about what it’d be like to be with you… So I need you to tell me what I need to do for you to give me that chance.” His jaw tenses as he locks eyes with me. “Please.”

And I think my favorite part of the whole story was how sweet Brett was with Catherine’s young daughter. I loved the way he always included her every time he asked Catherine to go anywhere with him. Even if he was just inviting her over to watch a game, he openly invited her daughter along and always included her. Plus, kids that age pretty much have no filter and reading about her and Brett chatting away together was utterly heart-melting!

Even though on the surface, much of their story feels a little like a modern fairy-tale, it’s also a beautiful story about a woman who has been let down by life and love and nearly everyone in her life (including herself) learning to trust again, learning to be fearless and daring to follow her heart both for the sake of her own happiness and to set a strong example for her daughter.

I read this book in one afternoon and loved it! As the story got closer to the end though, I’m not gonna lie, I flipped those pages pretty fast with that omg-how-is-everything-going-to-be-resolved-before-the-last-page feeling but luckily everything was in a beautiful, swoon-filled happily ever after befitting of this modern fairy tale.

K.A. Tucker has been one of my favorite authors for many years now. I love her writing style and her stories always draw me in. This one was much lighter in feeling than many of her previous books and I really enjoyed it! It was a truly well-written and delightful read that I’d highly recommend to all romance readers!